Many motor vehicles rely on some form of lubricant to reduce friction between adjacent moving surfaces. In most cases, a motor vehicle engine includes an engine block that includes cylinders, pistons, and one or more cylinder heads that may support valves. An oil pan is generally mounted to a lower portion of the engine block. The oil pan collects lubricant or oil passing downward through the cylinder heads and engine block. The engine often includes an oil pump having an inlet provided in the oil pan. The oil pump urges the oil from the oil pan back through the engine block, often times to the cylinder heads, to provide continuous lubrication. In many cases, the oil pan is shaped to force the oil to collect near the inlet.
In some instances, oil may move away from the inlet. Vehicle accelerations could generate forces that cause the oil to move away from the inlet. Accelerations may arise from increases in vehicle speed, changes of direction, such as driving through a curve or making a right or left turn, and the like. When oil moves away from the inlet, supply to the oil pump may be interrupted. In such cases, continuity of the oil flow may also be interrupted. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a baffle in the oil pan to limit oil moving away from the inlet to ensure continuity of oil delivery to the motor vehicle engine.